European Strikes Add Pressure To Latin American Schedules
Port congestion has been the leading disruptor of Latin American sailing schedules this year, and a new wave of industrial action across Europe now threatens to compound the situation.
Three of the continent’s busiest ports – Rotterdam, Antwerp, and Zeebrugge – have recently been hit by strikes that are causing widespread operational delays.
In Belgium, nationwide industrial action over pension reforms brought operations at Antwerp and Zeebrugge to a halt on the evening of October 13th.
Both ports have since reopened, but the shutdown followed several days of work-to-rule actions by marine pilots, who are currently limiting their hours to between 08:00 and 17:00. This restriction has been forcing vessels, which are subject to mandatory pilotage, to face extended waiting times for entry to the ports.
Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, dockworkers in Rotterdam began striking on October 8th in a dispute over pay and working conditions. A court order temporarily paused the action on October 13th, but workers are legally permitted to walkout again from 7:00 am on October 17th if the dispute is not resolved.
Rotterdam and Antwerp, already among Europe’s most congested ports this year, are expected to face mounting backlogs, with ongoing delays likely to cause further disruption to sailing schedules.
Envio continues to closely monitor developments. For tailored support with supply chain strategy or contingency planning, please contact our team.
